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Report: Hiring veterans is good business

Lawmakers and White House officials for months have been espousing the virtues of hiring veterans, saying they make exemplary civilian employees. Now, a new study suggests that companies are getting the message.

A survey of 69 businesses released by the Center for a New American Security this week found that most corporate officials believe hiring veterans is “good business.” They listed veterans’ reliability, loyalty, discipline and character as reasons they look to veterans to fill open positions.

That perception is good news for veterans, especially since the hiring officials also reported that “patriotic sentiment will rarely override the bottom line … there must be a business case to hire veterans.”

Companies surveyed included defense contractors such as Booz Allen Hamilton and Boeing, but also employers with few direct military business connections, such as AT&T, Wal-Mart and PepsiCo. Officials said concerns about possible future deployments and past mental health issues do affect veterans’ hiring, which complicates getting them into civilian jobs.